Improvement in heat-regulators for hot-air furnaces



i. HAYES.

Heat-Regulator for Hot-Air Furna ces.

No. 128,485, Patented'luly 2,1872.

WITNESSES: MENTOR, %W ,7 g

1/4. Aware -l'/T//0b/MPIIIO 00, M x (05501911153 PHOCEESJ res les UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE ISAAC HAYES, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 128,485, dated July 2, 1872.

Specification describing certain Improvements in Automatic Heat-Regulators for Hot- Air Furnaces, invented byIsAAo HAYES, of the city of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsyl- Vania.

The first part of my invention relates to the construction and arrangement, within a rigid case in open communication with an air-heating pipe in the hot-air chamber of the furnace,

of two elastic horizontallyarranged diaphragms, separated from each other by a horizontally-arranged rigid diaphragm-plate and an air-space, and provided with a vertically- 'sliding stem, which is permanently fixed, airtight, to the center of each of said separated elastic diaphragms, so as to slide through a central hole in the said plate, and so also as to project through the center of the bottom of the case in such a manner as will allow it to slide freely up and down, within certain limits, through the said plate and bottom of the case, the lower end of said stem being articulated to a weighted lever on a rock-shaft, which has fixed on each of its ends a short arm or projection which, when the said shaft is rocked,

will bear alternately upon the draughtvalve and the damper-valve of the furnace in such a manner as to alternately open the said valves for the admission of air into either, as the draught through the furnace may require to be either increased, diminished, or cut off for the purpose of regulating the air-heating chamber of the said furnace. The second part of my invention relates to the construction and arrangement of an external chamber for rarefied air in open communication with that part of the rigid case which is between the two elastic diaphragms,

so as to operate in combination with the hotair space, which is above the upper elastic diaphragm in the containing-case, and the airheating pipe in communication therewith; the

object of this part of my invention being to facilitate and render more delicate the move ments of the stem by maintaining a body of confined rarefied air between the two elastic diaphragms of the containing-case.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved automatic heat-regulator applied to the usual furnace-wall and chimney. Figs. 2 and 3 are, respectively, vertical central sections through the diaphragm-case, its sliding stem, air reservoir, and the pipes communicating therewith, and with the hot-air chamber, respectively-Fig. 2 representing the left-hand portion, and Fig. 3 the right-hand portion in relation to their line of division.

A is the side wall of the usual furnace for heating air, and a the chimney; B, the pipe which conducts the draught-air that enters through its valve 1) into the fuel-chamber (not shown) of the furnace; O, the pipe which conducts the air that enters through its dampervalvec into the chimney; D, the rigid case which contains the diaphragms; d, the pipe .which has its closed end within the hot-air chamber, and its open end within the case D; d, the pipe-which communicates between the case D and the rarefied-air chamber (1. 4 is the upper elastic diaphragm; 5, the lower elastic diaphragm, and 6 the rigid diaphragm-plate between them in the case D; 7, the sliding stem attached to the two elastic diaphragms, and projecting down through the center of the bottom of the case D, where it is articulated to the weighted lever E of the rock-shaft e, which alternately opens the valves 0 and b, and also permits them consequently to close by gravitation. The case D, consists of two concavo-convex plates, 8 and 9, secured to the respective ends of a short hollowcylinder,10, with the edges of the elastic diaphragms 4 and 5 clasped air-tight, respectively, between them, the upper end of the cylinder 10 forming the rigid diaphragm-plate 6. The stem 7 slides vertically up and down, within necessarylimits, through a small hole in the center of the rigid diaphragm-plate 6, and also through a like hole in the center of the bottom plate 8 of the case D, the lower end of the stem 7 extending down below the said plate 8 into articulatin g connection with the weighted lever E, which is fixed horizontally across the rock-shaft e. The part of the stem 7, which always remains within the case D, is fixed in an airtight manner to both the elastic diaphragms, 4 and 5, so that when the said upper diaphragm 4 rests fiat upon the plate 6 the lower one, 5, will be curved or pressed downwardby the said connecting-stem 7, as shown in Fig. 3; and when the said lower diaphragm 5 is raised to a level or horizontal position, the upper one, 4, will be curved upward accordingly, as shown in Fig. 2. The respective seats of the two valves 1) and c are inclined from a air of the hot-air chamber and the rarefied air between the diaphragms. The lever E, stem 7, and diaphragms 4 and 5 are so arranged and adjusted together that when the hot-air chamber of the furnace becomes too hot, the said hot air expands the air in the pipe 1, which communicates with the case D, and the consequent expansion of the air in the upper part of D forces the diaphragm 4 down flatly upon the rigid diaphragm-plate 6, and, consequently, carries downward the stem 7 and diaphragm 5; and the said stem 7, being articulated to the weighted lever E, turns the rockshaft 6 so as to cause the short arm or projection 11, on the one end of the same, to come in contact with a projecting foot on the lower edge of the valve 0, and lift the said valve, (see Fig. 3,) while at the same time a like arm or projection, 12, on the opposite end of the rock-shaft e, is turned away from contact with the foot of valve b, and allows the latter to close by gravitation, and thus cut off the draught to the fire-chamber of the furnace, and at the same time allow'cold air to enter the chimneythrough the opened damper-valve 0, (see Fig. 1,) and when the hot-air chamber of the furnace has become reduced in temperature to the degree to which the apparatus has been properly adjusted, the contraction of the air in the pipe at, and that part of the case D which is above the upper elastic diaphragm 4, operating, as in the other condition, in combination with the rarefied air between the diaphragms 4 and 5, and in the pipe 01',- and airchamber d, cause the two diaphragms 4 and 5 to rise, and, consequently, lift the stem 7 -ber of the furnace. (See Fig.1.)

and turn the rock-shaft e, so as to release the valve b, and thus allow it to close by gravitation, and cut ofi' the draught to the fuel-cham- The rarefied air in the reservoir d, pipe 01', and space between the elastic diaphragms 4 and 5 is produced by withdrawing the screw-plug 'v of the case D, and applying a moderate heat to the chamber 01 to expel a portion of the contained air, and then reinserting the said plug. As the contained air cools and contracts it causes a suction on the upper side of diaphragm 5, which constantly tends to raise the said diaphragm into the position shown in Fig. 2.

I am aware that an air-space has been constructed and arranged to operate in combination with two elastic diaphragms, arranged outside of said air-space, for the purpose of regulating the heat of a furnace and, therefore, I do not desire to claim, broadly, the use of two diaphragms with an air-space between; but, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is confined to the following, viz:

I claim as my invention- 1. The two elastic diaphragms 4 and 5, and the rigid diaphragm-plate 6 within the case D, together with the sliding stem 7, in combination with the rock-shaft a, weighted lever E, and valves 1) and c, the said parts being constructed, arranged, and applied to the furnace, 1

substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. In combination with the mechanical devices specified in the foregoing first clause of the claim, I claim the rarefied air-chamber d, and pipe 01', in open communication with the air-space between the said two elastic diaphragms 4 and 5, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

ISAAC HAYES.

Witnesses:

BENJ. MORISON, WM. H. MORISON. 

